Technology in Sports
Many professional sports have used instant replays for years. In American football, coaches are able to challenge plays they think referees may have gotten wrong, while in basketball referees are able to use technology to confirm a player has released a shot before the time expires. Baseball uses a technology system that shows how accurate Umpires ball and strike calls are. One sport that has hesitated in implementing technology in their sport is football, or soccer. During the world cup in South Africa this past summer, it was evident that referees are vulnerable to making the wrong calls and at times miss calls altogether.
So should Soccer adopt instant replay?
It seems that it would be a no-brainer. However, there is a deep sense of tradition in soccer that makes it the most popular game in the world. Introducing technology could drastically change the nature of the game.
The decision comes down to what is more important to the game of soccer: getting the call right and creating a fair playing field, or sticking with tradition and history.
Jamie Trecker is a journalist for Fox Sports and believes that it is time for soccer to adopt new technology into their sport. His article can be found at this URL.
Journalist Dan Levy, offers that introducing technology in the game would have a negative effect. His article is found here:
http://www.sbnation.com/2010/6/22/1647329/why-replay-would-not-work-in-world
So what do you think? Is it more important to stick with tradition or evolve with technology? Do you think that technology and tradition can co-exist together?
I'm not a huge sports fan but I believe instant replay should become part of soccer. It's worked out well for football and other sports, why not soccer. Sometimes I think "tradition" is a way of just not wanting to change.
ReplyDeleteFun post for sports fans! I agree with Diane that "tradition" is sometimes an excuse for not wanting to change and I can understand this logic. However, the fact that implementing technology has worked out in other sports would be sound reasoning for those sports who haven't adopted it to jump on the band wagon.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with Dan Levy in his article. He begins the article being condescending of American’s trying to fix everything; I don’t see how his political opinions are being dragged into an article about trying to improve sports through use of technology. As an athlete, I know what it’s like for an official to make a bad call and there’s no way to go back and reverse the call because it’s already done with. I’ve also officiated different sports so I know what point he’s trying to make when he says that some officiating is supposed to be subjective and its part of the game. But this isn’t a reason to not implement instant replay to try and improve the game. The fact is that human beings can miss calls. It’s going to happen, but it doesn’t make it right or the way it should be just because technology wasn’t here in the past. If a player scores but was in violation of the rules and the officials missed it, his team should not win the game. Being able to review the play using instant replay in my opinion is the right thing to do. It insures that the right team wins. If you asked the officials who make really big mistakes on calls and costs athletes and fans something that they want with their whole heart, they are probably more likely to say, I wish there was a way I could have been assisted making the right call. Well the technology is there, sports just need to use it.
I believe that technology and tradition can co-exist. Having the instant replay would be a good idea for soccer games. This does not have to be something that drastically changes the game. It will simply allow reassurance and accuracy. One thing to assess would be the technology’s ROI. I also agree with Diane. Some propose “tradition” as a front for not wanted to change situations
ReplyDeleteI am not a huge sports fan but I do believe like anything else it can evolve with technology. As for soccer I believe anything it can do to get an American audience would help and maybe a little boost from technology is what it needs. On another note I do know that university level athletics are starting to take technology very serious when it comes to video, PR and marketing. My brother was just hired on at Southern Miss at Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Technology, which tells me people are seeing the importance of technology when it comes to sports.
ReplyDeleteI've never been a huge fan of soccer since I stopped playing when I was young. I only watch it now during the World Cup or really big games. That being said, the tradition argument doesn't really strike a chord with me. I say, without reservation, that instant replay should be implemented. It has really aided in changing the course of other sports, so why should soccer be left behind?
ReplyDeleteI know a little about baseball, basketball and football, but know absolutely nothing about soccer. However, I do understand what Levy mentions in his article about "the fluidity of the game." Soccer moves so fast, but so does basketball, right?
ReplyDeleteWhat I didn't see in the articles was what the players think. Do they agree with the FIFA? Do they want instant replay? Maybe the Americans want it, but the European teams don't. Has technology really helped sports or has it just made sporting events even longer and more drawn out? I don't know....even with instant replay, it seems the referees/officials still take the heat.
Soccer is unique because there's a running clock. The ref keeps time on his watch and stops for goals, injuries, and other delays, but how the time is kept is subjective. A half is supposed to be 45 minutes long, but there's always added time to account for the stoppages in play. However, because play never officially stops and there are no time outs, implementing instant replay without drastically changing the game is not possible.
ReplyDeleteThe job of a top level soccer ref is an impossible one. He (or she) is asked to keep up with world class athletes all around the field and make split second decisions about fouls, yellow cards, red cards, penalties, hand balls, and other infractions. The ref has only the side judges to help with offides calls, or to get a second opinion on a play near the sideline. The reason you see so much play acting or diving to get a call is because the players know the ref can't see everything. In this the players are supposed to hold each other accountable, yet two of the best players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba, are also the most prolific cheaters, known for faking injuries and diving.
I played soccer growing up, and am still a huge fan to this day. The only change I would like to see implemented is goal line technology. It's impossible for a referee to tell if a ball has completely crossed the line or not. He can only guess. We saw this in the World Cup when Lampard's goal for England was ruled out against Germany when it clearly bounced over the line and came back into the field of play. All the other flaws in the game are part of the "charm" of the world's most popular sport.
Soccer is a sport that has a very important part in the culture of many nations. Even more important, the revenue from the sport is sometime a big chunk of a countries economy. The severity of the stakes on each game, create a stiuation where referees have so much more pressure now to make accurate calls.
ReplyDeleteReferees are a great instituation in that they enforce the game rules and make sure that the game play is fair. However, the room for human error is a very real part of refereeing. This is where the use of technology will really benefit the world of soccer. The more accurate calls that are made, the better the flow of the game. Furthermore there is reduced pressure on the referees to call a perfect game. The appreciation for fair play can really be supported if instant replay or any other new innovative technology was taken into consideration.
Yes get the instant replay! I understand the tradition, but just as Cherelle stated tradition and technology can go hand in hand. Sometimes change is good and many are just afraid of that change and that may be where the "tradition" comes into play. All of this time I had no idea soccer didn't have instant replay, ha who knew...I guess it shows that that is not my sport of choice though I find it can be entertaining at times. I say use the technology, sometimes in spite of the glitches and difficulties it can be a fantastic tool!
ReplyDelete